Gay parents 'no disadvantage'

14 May 2012, 4:23 pm   -   Source: Lisa Zilberpriver, SBS
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There is no scientific evidence to support the assertion of 150 doctors that children with heterosexual parents 'do better' than those in same-sex homes, psychologists say.

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There is no scientific evidence to support the assertion of 150 doctors that children with heterosexual parents 'do better' than those with same-sex parents, psychologists say.

A group of 150 medical professionals called 'Doctors for the Family' recently signed a Senate submission claiming that children whose parents were in a heterosexual relationship 'did better' than those raised by same-sex couples.

"We submit that the evidence is clear that children who grow up in a family with a mother and father do better in all parameters than children without," the submission said.

However, experts said a vast body of research showed the opposite was true.

"The Australian Psychological Society conducted in 2007 a large review of literature on parenting by same sex couples, and found the evidence shows that children in these families do at least as well as those in heterosexual  families," said APS spokesperson Dr Judith Heywood.

That literature was based on 30 years of research tracking children in same-sex homes, added Dr Damien Riggs, a Flinders University lecturer in social work and planning.

It suggested that on some measures, those raised by gay couples were better-adjusted than others, he said.

If there were any negative consequences of growing up with non-heterosexual parents, they would the consequences of discrimination, Dr Riggs said, and those were the same across all marginalised groups.

"For any marginal group, living in a society that discriminates against that marginal group, the effects are pretty uniform and that is being teased or bullied, experiencing stigma, experiencing a range of different forms of discriminations," he said.

Children could be teased or bullied based on their race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender or religion, according to Dr Riggs.

"If those of us who are working in the health professions want to support children and families then that's what we should be doing, rather than speaking against them," Dr Riggs said.

The submission to Senate was surprising because it cited mostly evidence from media reports rather than professional research.

"It was a bunch of very well-educated professionals citing media articles as the evidence," Dr Riggs said.

"If they had actually read the research evidence - which they're probably very skilled in doing - they would be able to see that the research evidence is supportive of children raised in same-sex families," he said.

The Australian Medical Association also distanced itself from the Doctors for the Family submission.

"There is a growing body of evidence that says there's no difference in their psychological development, their general health, their sexual orientation," AMA president Dr Steve Hambleton told the ABC.

The opinions expressed by Doctors for the Family did not reflect those of of the wider medical community, Dr Hambleton added. 

Gay Marriage , Gay Parents

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Ask a smoker if smoking is bad!!!!

Peter Stokes - from melbourne, 1 year

Dr Riggs is not only a homosexual who was living in a same-sex relationship, he also fosters children. Why does your article not point this out so people can evaluate what he says against his personal conflict of interest - he is hugely BIASED. Ask most smokers if smoking is bad - will they say yes? Of course not. The basic criteria for good social research is large random samples. All the so called evidence Mr Riggs relies on is from 'SMALL 'self select' samples - This is BAD science.

Ridiculous

Ching - from Adelaide, 1 year

Has anyone actually read those 150 doctors' submission? They listed 7 reasons for this and as far as I could see at least 5 were twisted and have nothing to do with the best interests of adopted children. I actually thought there would be valid and research based arguments raised in the report so I was pretty disappointed. I was also not surprised to find that the doctor leading the 150 others was a devote Christian against gay rights.

Equality and gender

Elizabeth - from Castlemaine, 1 year

Better to have two intelligent parents than two twits. Better by far to have two loving parents than two scapegoating, self-serving, egotists...I'm not able to see the potential scientific validity of this research, much less the use for the story, in at least that way. Good that we all still know this form of research is naughty, flawed and wrong!

?

Jim - from Melbourne, 1 year

High school is cruel. Imagine being at an all boys/girls school with gay parents (male or female). If it became known to their peers they would be ridiculed, harshly. Unfortunately bullying will never stop, I feel sorry for any children/youths in this situation. Marriage in definition is between a man and a woman, can

The infallible gay community

Mick - from Melbourne, 1 year

It puzzles me how so many experts supposedly get it repeatedly wrong whenever they comment about gays.Apparently nobody knows the first thng about gays unless your gay.Bit of a closed shop really isn't it.

Internet randoms know better than trained doctors!

James - from Melbourne, 1 year

I love that internet randoms think they know more about this stuff than people who spend their entire lives dealing with it. It's kinda sad.

Lies

Sam - from Wellington, 1 year

Christian activists have been lying about this research for years. They take a study which compared two-parent families with single -parent families, where children did better with two parents. And they then claim, "Studies show that children do better with both a father and mother." It is distorting and twisting the truth - in other words, lying. Funny, because doesn't one of the Ten Commandments prohibit lying? And doesn't it say in the New Testament that liars will not get into heaven?

Outlaw Religion not Gays

Garry - from Queanbeyan, 1 year

Most of the ill-informed bigoted morons I have ever met have one thing in common, they are overtly religious. Bringing children up in households where they are brainwashed with ridiculous old myths is far far worse than them being bought up in a same sex household.

Christian Rubbish

Christopher - from Melbourne, 1 year

Cummon everyone, don't stress. These " Doctors for the family" are a Christian group as far as I can see, and unfortunately in this world we live in today Christianity means biggotry, predudice and war, three things I can tell you are not very good for raising children. Christianity is a dying religion, FACT., where as gay people are only getting stronger and more powerful. Most gay people I know make great parents but I can say I know a lot of straight parents who do a terrible job.

Chris from Adelaide is missing the point

Doug - from Altona North, 1 year

Chris - Yes researchers can get it wrong, but research from multiple sources conducted by multiple sources? Hardly. Unless you think there is a conspiracy of some sorts, such a body of research is pretty darn convincing. It's time open up your mind to ideas that don't suit your idea of what the norm is.

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